What to Check after Installing iOS 8

Accessibility

Many people would be unable to use iOS if it weren’t for Apple’s commitment to making iOS accessible to those with disabilities. The accessibility settings also make iOS easier to use for many others. See Accessibility in iOS 8.

Privacy

Secure the device: A passcode prevents ne’er-do-wells from getting past your device’s Lock screen, and it’s required for iCloud Keychain. To learn how to set a passcode—and enable Touch ID fingerprint security on supported devices—see Setting a Passcode.

Protect your privacy: Apple offers several privacy options that you should be aware of, so you can be sure they’re set correctly for you. For example, I recommend enabling Limit Ad Tracking. See Guarding Your Privacy in iOS 8.

Networking

Wi-Fi: You probably want to access the Internet from your device, so tap Settings > Wi-Fi to check whether the device is connected to your local Wi-Fi network. If your device supports cellular data—and you’ve subscribed to a cellular plan—you’ll use less of that data if you connect via Wi-Fi whenever possible.

Avoid a big data bill: Similarly, if your device has a cellular data plan, the last thing you want to do when kicking off your iOS 8 adventure is blow through your data cap. See Managing Data Usage.

Bluetooth: As with prior iOS updates, iOS 8 enables Bluetooth during installation, even if you had disabled it before the upgrade. If you prefer to keep it off, disable it from Control Center (see Take Control of the iOS 8 Control Center) or in Settings > Bluetooth.

Note: If you don’t know how to locate the Settings app, or need help understanding what directions like “Settings > iCloud” mean, see Where Is the iOS Settings App? in Take Control’s free Read Me First book.

Apple ID

iCloud vs. Store: You might not realize that you can use one Apple ID for iCloud (Settings > iCloud) and an entirely separate Apple ID for purchasing content from the App Store, iTunes Store, and iBooks Store (Settings > iTunes & App Store). For example, you could use your own Apple ID for iCloud and your significant other’s Apple ID for the App Store. Check both settings to be sure you’re set up properly.

Consider Family Sharing: Previously, the only way to share purchased content with family members was to have everyone sign in to Apple’s stores with the same Apple ID. But Apple has introduced Family Sharing in iOS 8, letting you share purchased content and more among Apple IDs. If that sounds interesting, read All in the Family Sharing.

iCloud

Check the iCloud switches in Settings > iCloud and enable or disable each service as needed. If you need help with understanding what all these services do, refer to An Introduction to iCloud.

Social Media

A few social-media sharing services are built in to iOS. You sign in to each in the Settings app, and you can then send a post, image, or video from within any app that supports Share sheets—you won’t need to sign in to a service each time you want to use it (see How to Share).

To sign in to Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, or Vimeo, open the Settings app and tap the service’s name (you may need to scroll down a bit to find them). Then enter your username and password, and tap Sign In.

If you like, you can install each service’s official app by tapping the Install button next to that service’s name in the Settings app. After you launch each app for the first time (by tapping its icon on the Home screen), you can configure whether and how notifications from that app appear on your device (see Setting up Notifications).

Emergency Medical Info

If you have an iPhone, take a moment to visit the Health app and enter the details you’d like a first responder, or anyone else, to see on the device’s Lock screen in case of an emergency. See Accessing a Medical ID from the Lock Screen.